Pacific feeling green over visa scam

People in the Pacific are continuing to fall for scams in which they are promised better chances to win American green cards.

The US State Department has what they call a 'Diversity Visa' program, in which 50,000 green cards can be won in a random lottery each year.

The lottery is very popular in the Pacific, but many people respond to scams that promise an increased chance of winning, or from people asking for money who pretend to represent the US government.

Vice Consul at the US Embassy in Fiji, Robert Blakeslee, says scammers "fish" for information when people use unsecure internet connections, and then send emails to people telling them they have won the green card lottery.

Mr Blakeslee told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat the scams can be quite sophisticated.

"The way it looks, it uses the applicant's name...information, it uses an old application from the state department," he said.

"What normally attracts individuals is the US flag, perhaps a picture of the President, state department.